U.S. President Barack Obama has begun negotiations with President Raúl Castro. The two leaders met at the Palace of the Revolution, the seat of government in Havana.

Before negotiations, Obama laid a wreath and toured a memorial dedicated to the memory of the hero of struggle for independence of Cuba Jose Marti under the sounds of the Cuban and American anthems. Earlier Obama said that at a meeting with Castro he plans to touch upon a subject of freedom of speech and assembly in Cuba, BBC Russian service reported.

The previous day Obama arrived in Cuba with an official two-day visit. It was the first visit of the American leader to the Caribbean state in 88 years. Many journalists note that Obama's trip marks a turning point in the American-Cuban relations.